Darkness is always a scary thing and it's even scarier when you're not old enough to know the possibilities of what lurks behind the black. Early on, I found myself sprinting to my bed when night fell. I had always harbored the notion that if I was in my bed all the fear and tormentors could be shielded by my blankets. Safety was as simple as pulling sheets over my head. That went for creatures both imaginary and real. Ghosts and robbers alike would be fooled. If I just got into that bed and covered myself. Sheets over the head, but also over the feet. The feet were more important than you'd think. Not while awake, but while asleep. If my feet were exposed I knew I'd have a visitor. And he was what lurked behind the darkness.

I'd first like to get this straight. My visitor did not scare me. The only scary part about him was that he somehow made it into my room unbeknownst to me. But, other than that, he was just annoying. He was a little man, a dwarf in fact-complete with dirty white beard, scrunched aged face, and squat dwarf body. As I said before, he came only when I mistakenly left my feet open to the air. He took delight in this as his only goal in life was to catch me unawares and one by one pull each of my toes with his chubby dwarf fingers. It didn't hurt and he wasn't trying to take my toes, either. Just pull on them. It was just annoying to know that night after night he'd be there to torment me and my toes.

I only woke up once as a result of it and he was gone before I could catch a glimpse of him. So, it was impossible to catch him in the act. How, you may ask, did I even know he was a dwarf, then? Call it instinct, call it what you will. But, it's in all of us to know when a weird old dwarf pulls on your toes. Human nature.

It was hard because he struck only after I was asleep. I could stay awake all I want with my feet left out naked to the darkness and he would never come. He knew I was waiting with a pillowcase to catch him and prove to my parents that I wasn't lying. So, no matter how long I waited it wouldn't matter. It was once the darkness had cloaked my eyes and I was unconscious that he'd strike with his awful, annoying toe pull. So, I'd wrap myself cocoon-like, my feet tightly covered and attempt to sleep. And the worst part is that I like the cold when I sleep. I'd rather freeze than sweat and the easiest way to stay cool while sleeping is to leave the foot of the bed open so that air blows in. I couldn't-not with that damn dwarf on the loose. So, I lay there all uncomfortable knowing full-well that soon I'd sleepily roll over and the taut cocoon would loosen with the movement and out would pop my feet. Dwarf.

This went on for I don't know how long and then, eventually, like all creatures of the dark, the dwarf just stopped pulling my toes. I can't even tell you when I think it stopped. I know he didn't follow me to college. But, I'm pretty sure it had all ended even before that. Whatever the final day was, today I sleep freely. No longer tormented by a toe-pulling annoying dwarf. And maybe, in some messed up psychological sense, I sleep better now that I had to go through all that torturous madness. I don't know really. I've got nothing. I'm only glad the dwarf's gone and can only hope that he's found a respectable place in society and is not tormenting some other kid. If he is and you happen to be that kid. Cover your toes for now, but know that it'll pass.